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Welcome To Our World!

Welcome to the wonderful, hectic, ever-changing and exciting life of Teri and Kevin Hales! We're a couple of crazy photographers currently based in the UK, in Suffolk County (thanks to the military...which is Kevin's day job)...but we spend alot of time raising our little tyke, just enjoying the small things in life and travelling the world too. We hope you enjoy getting to know us (maybe more than you really wanted to) and seeing our latest and greatest photographic victories as well. And...don't be a stranger! Bookmark this baby and come back often to see what's cookin' in our little English cottage. We'd love to hear what you have to say and get to know you too (that was a not-so-subtle attempt to say...leave comments. We love 'em). OK...now have fun looking!

Pottery Mania

OK…so it’s now officially tradition that in January, we pack up a group of ladies, cram them in a van and drive 2 1/2 hours away for sale month at the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent. This year was especially fun. We talked, cheered eachother on, shared snap peas and fresh pineapple…and just had fun being GIRLS for a day. We left at 6 am to beat the crowds…and hit almost every single pottery factory outlet in Stoke…including Burleigh, Wedgewood, Spode, Portmeirion, Aynsley…and a new find this year…Leeds Pottery. I won’t tell you how much money I spent. When I look at the figures, it’s just embarassing…especially for a tight-wad like me. But, the shelves and shelves of cute dishes in my house send my little heart all a flutter…and making brownies and serving soup has never been more fun. It’s inspiring me to get out there and schedule more dinner dates with our friends…and boy have we ever! Now if I can just find a use for my swirly-twirly Wedgewood platter….hmmm….

The last month or so…

So, it’s no secret…I took a vacation. A long one. After months of single parenting, business, and the holidays…I needed one. I haven’t even checked my emails in the past month. No facebook. No blogging. No photo editing. Nada. (If you’ve emailed me…look for a response in the next day or two). But, that doesn’t mean I’ve been lolling about the house eating bon-bons…though I have enjoyed a couple of days of that (and it was darn fun!). We’ve been out and about…sightseeing, board gaming, socializing…and just becoming “normal” human beings again. Here is a glimpse of our adventures this past month. They’ve been oh-s0-fun…but this last week I could feel the pull of real life tugging at me. It’s time to buckle up for another great year! Stay tuned!

Kevin’s mom, Carol, came to hang out with Teri and help her regain her sanity before the holidays. In mid-December, we made the trek to Leeds Castle for their holiday decor…Carol’s first castle visit ever…and then took the ferry to Europe to enjoy the German Christmas market in Aachen. The food was amazing…and we didn’t stop eating from the moment we arrived!

Teri’s whole family made the trek across the “pond” for Christmas. It was awesome to have us all squished together here in our English Cottage. So many fun memories! We took a trip to London and had a BLAST on the London Eye. We also saw the Tower of London and Big Ben…and experienced a double decker bus ride. (Not to mention we froze our tooshies off during the coldest, snowiest week we’ve ever experienced in England).  

We had way too much fun watching Weslee open presents.

We took some quick family pics in Bury St. Edmunds before hitting the pub for lunch.

We took a trip to Bath. We had tea and hot chocolate at the Jane Austen Museum, toured the Roman Baths, and I even enjoyed an evening with the girls at the Thermae Spa in Bath. We had fun floating around in the thermal pools and chatting it up while Dad and Kevin shopped.

We braved the freezing rain and wind at Stonehenge.

We marvelled at the tallest spire in England at Salisbury Cathedral and learned about the signing of the Magna Carta.

Snowy Day

It has snowed for 2 days straight now.  I have NEVER seen it snow like this here…and my wardrobe can attest to that! The temperatures are below freezing, there’s ice and snow everywhere, and my Converse just weren’t up to the job of keeping my little tootsies warm today as we tromped through the frosty countryside and visited the open market in Bury St. Edmunds. We really only got to browse for 20 minutes before my feet felt like they were going to fall off. I even bought a few pairs of warm wooly socks…but my poor feet were already ice blocks and refused to warm up. We called it quits on the outdoor exploration and sat down to some fabulous burgers and my new favorite burger joint…Benson Blakes. Mmm. Mmm. Delicious!

Part of the reason my little feet might have been so cold (and my backside) is because we stopped to take a few pictures in the countryside before hitting the market. There aren’t many occasions in England when you have snow AND sunlight in the winter. My brother and sister in law were such good sports as we climbed a fence to reach this tree. We all laughed at my stupidity as I rolled around in the snow trying to find that “perfect” angle. They are so cute…and I’m so happy to have them here. The next time I see them, they’ll either have a little bundle of joy…or there will be very big expectations of a new addition (and then I’ll get some awesome maternity pics if that happens…hooray!) These are likely the last couple shots they’ll have before their little tyke enters the world. We only spent about 10 minutes taking them (because Wes and I were utterly freezing). And, darn that girl if she isn’t one of the most photogenic people I know.

White Christmas

 

This Christmas has been one of the busiest and merriest of my adult life (though it would be a whole lot merrier with Kevin around…dang it all). Since Thanksgiving, we have been going non stop. We spent a week and a half (from thanksgiving through the first weekend in December) at our friends’ house, watching their two adorable little girls, attending ballet performances and school nativity plays. It was a blast…and Wes felt for 10 days like he had siblings. Two days after Thanksgiving, Carol, my mother in law, flew in to be with us (this being alone thing really stinks for me…and I SO appreciated her visit…Carol, I love ya! Thanks a million for coming and just talking with me…and going to see Germany with me. It was wonderful. You made the first couple of weeks of December super merry and bright. I miss you already). And the day after my mother in law left…my brother’s wife came to visit. She’s the first of the family to arrive in England…followed by my brother tomorrow…my husband shortly after that sometime…and then my mom, dad and sister. It’s going to be jam packed with people, love and holiday spirit in our little English cottage this Christmas!

Today was particularly wonderful because it has been SNOWING for the last couple of hours. It’s been coming down off and on all day long…but around 6:30 pm tonight, it began snowing hard and it hasn’t stopped yet. Once we found out that youth was cancelled at church, we came home to enjoy all of the white stuff outside. We bundled up in our warmest coats, hats and mittens and had an awesome snowball fight (Wes is suprisingly good at making snowballs…and surprisingly accurate at throwing them…as my backside can attest to), slid up and down the street in our Wellies, and even made a snow angel. It’s such an odd occurence to have a heavy snowfall here in England. We’re savoring every minute of it. It really feels like Christmas tonight. We came in with red, frozen noses, coats dripping with melted snow, and we bundled up in blankets to get warm and watch “Miracle on 34th Street”. We’ve sipped hot cocoa and eaten hot chocolate chip cookies. For just a few hours, I’ve captured a little of the Christmas magic I felt as a kid…and it’s been the best Christmas present of the season so far.

Eh-Tar

With the onset of the winter months here, there’s little to do outside except jump in puddles (we did that yesterday before and after shopping…and yes, I did partcipate) and get muddy. Weslee has already begun to grow bored of the Community Center with its indoor play area. I found myself wishing that there were activities for young kids to do in the community other than go to day care or nursery school. And then, I really began to think (which is always dangerous and sometimes costly).

 I thought of all of the things that Weslee is drawn to. Music tops the list. I bring a  pencil to church not only for him to draw with while we listen to the speakers, but also so that he can wave it like a baton as if conducting a large choir, while we sing the hymns. We sing at a minimum of every night. We dance and clean to all different kinds of music. But lately, he’s really been drawn to instruments. Drums and guitars in particular. We play Rock Band a couple of times a week so that he can bang on the drumset and feel like he’s contributing to the music. He loves it, though he can only handle it for a couple of songs at a time. And every time he sees a guitar, you can see him ache to hold it an pluck at the strings. Kevin’s guitar is too big and bulky for even me to play with ease (I’m just a wimp like that, I guess) let alone Weslee. But, while wandering through the BX yesterday, I spotted this fully functional, child sized, six string acoustic guitar for $17.99. Seriously. How could I pass it up? Wes skipped happily beside the cart. “Eh-tar! Eh-tar! Eh-tar!”

When we got home, and after Weslee was asleep, I popped the box open to get the instrument ready. I tuned it (impressive, I’ve never tuned a guitar before…but there are some pretty helpful online sites for that) and learned a couple of easy one string songs like “Mary had a Little Lamb”, “Louie, Louie” and “More Pizza, Please!” (which is really Hot Cross Buns with some better words). When Wes woke, he played with it for a full hour before tiring. And this morning, it was the first thing he wanted to do when he woke up. We were blessed with a little sunshine today and I got these great pics of him rockin’ out on the living room floor…in his pajamas with Play Doh still smooshed into them from our fun last night before bed, hair sticking every which way, and not matching at all (because I was lazy last night and just put on the pajama pants). While he was rockin’, I made the “Rock Out” sign with my fingers. He tried to do the same, but ended up making the “Hang Loose” sign instead…one of his favorites. When he realized what he was doing, he was done with the guitar. “An Loose, Doo!” (Translation: Hang Loose, Dude). Uncle Scott, this is a kid after your own heart.

I have to say, this has been as fun for me as it has been for him. I can actually fit my fingers around the frets of this guitar and I’m learning chords and songs (because someone has to teach Wes how to play the guitar…right?). I might actually learn to play the guitar afterall.

Full Circle

The earth has undergone her yearly journey… a full rotation around the sun. The leaves look exactly as they did when we arrived here last year. The crab apples hang thick on the trees. The rain has begun in earnest and the earth is often moist, even in the sunshine. The breeze carries with it the smell of moss and mouldering piles of leaf and plant matter. Smoke twirls lazily from the neighboring chimneys. The days have grown dark and quiet…and I have time for reflection.

The year has been an interesting one. On one hand, it has been the most exciting of my married life. I have seen places I’ve only ever read about in books. I’ve climbed to the top of the Duomo in Florence, Italy; felt the stiff salty breeze at the Irish coast; listened to the clamor of bagpipes during the Highland Games in Scotland. I’ve had the privilege of skiing on pristine, newfallen snow in the Bavarian Alps and I’ve gazed upon the lights of Paris, wrapped in the arms of my one true love atop the Eiffel Tower (and got to giggle at him when I learned that he’s actually a little afraid of heights…who knew?)

I finally took the plunge and began a photography business in earnest. It’s still amazing sometimes for me to look back and see where I was just a short year ago. I was so insecure with my ability. So afraid to tell people about my talent. (Thank heavens for a wonderful husband who has cheered and encouraged me every step of the way). It’s been so liberating to get out there and make my dreams a reality. I’ve grown so much, not just as a photographer, but as a person. My self esteem has climbed a far distance. I feel like I’ve conquered the world each time I come home from another shoot with awesome images…images that have been clamoring in my head, just waiting to be made reality. It’s been a very exciting year in that regard.

We began the adoption process again. We haven’t finished it (Kevin has been gone too much and I have had so many WONDERFUL photography clients, we just haven’t had a chance to finish it all…but, I began the paperwork again today). I’m a little afraid of having two kiddos. My little Weslee can keep my hoppin’ all by himself. I worry about what two will do. But, I have faith that it will all work out. I’m pretty sure every mom feels this way at some point or another when adding to the family.

This year has been trying in its own right too, however. My husband has been gone more than he ever has before. Almost every moment he’s been home, we’ve travelled and made memories…but by the time December rolls around, I will have spent about 7 1/2 months without him this year. My heart has never ached so deeply for so long. Our son has missed him a great deal too…and I’ve done my best to be both mom (hugs, making cookies, crafts, reading books) and dad (wrestling, playing soccer, tickle wars). Sometimes I’m better at it than others. But, as I look back on the year, I’m amazed at how much the painful separation process has stretched me as a person. Patience, generosity, empathy, charity, strength, faith…are all virtues that have come in it’s wake. I can feel myself growing as a person and can’t help but realize, this was all part of a grander design.

So, as we crunch the leaves beneath our feet and say goodbye to a year past, I’m thankful for the journey…the happy and sad, the bitter and sweet, the ups and the downs…and all that it’s brought to my life.

Trunk or Treat

Halloween. The true delight of every child. A whole night of dressing up, getting and eating candy, making treats, and hanging out with the family. The only problem? England doesn’t celebrate Halloween. Not really. There’s no trick or treating. No little kids roaming up and down the streets looking for goodies. No crazy neighborhood parties. No scary decorations hanging from your neighbor’s porch. So…what’s a kid to do? You go to your church’s Trunk or Treat…that’s what!

We ate chili and cornbread, decorated our trunks (ok…I was lame…I put out two pumpkins and a candy bowl and that was about it…but I DID wear my Halloween socks today…how’s THAT for festive? …when did I become so lame?) and set the kiddies loose in the church parking lot to trick or treat until the candy was all gone. Some of these people went ALL OUT on their decorations! Wes was totally fascinated with the carved pumpkins, creepy music, and cobwebs hanging from the backs of these mini vans. He loved the glow in the dark decorations. He spent more time checking out the decor than getting candy. (Who’s kid is this anyway?)

When we got home, we dumped our “loot” onto the living room floor to catalogue our finds and dig in. Weslee has polished off every sucker and smartie that he collected tonight…and left all the chocolate (again…who’s kid IS this???) He was on a sugar high like no other…literally BOUNCING off the walls, the couch, and me…and now (thank my lucky stars!)  he’s in bed in a semi comatose state from the after-crash. Happy Halloween!

Steck Family

Super fun shoot today with the Stecks! I’m not sure they knew what they were getting themselves into…but their pictures turned out wonderfully!  I love working with little families like this one. I love being able to really work with the mom and the dad and take them all sorts of fun places…like the dilapidated barn you see in some of these pics. I just can’t quit looking at these pictures. Some of my favorite work so far.

And, this ends my portrait photography season for this year. Of course, I’m still available for weddings and I’ll be doing some modelling sessions from time to time. I’ve ordered new equipment…new lenses and some lighting. This “off-season” will see me utilizing flash and other lighting in ways yet unknown to me. I’ll really be pushing the envelope and trying to expand my creativity and gear up for an even more amazing year next year. So, stay tuned to the blog to see what crazy things we come up with this winter.

If you’re thinking you’d like portraits done next year, we’ll begin taking bookings in January for the spring. We’ll begin shooting portraits on March 1.

Cracknell Family

 

 

This family was a blast. They came with bright umbrellas and just wanted me to capture their fun-loving spirit. And I did just that. Hope you love ‘em, ladies…thanks for the awesome afternoon.

Pickin’ a Punkin

My little man is obsessed with “punkins”. After our photoshoot yesterday, I was strapping him into the car. I asked, “You wanna go to the park, or are you ready to go home”. Hmmmm. He thought for a moment, his forehead really creasing from the concentration. And then, you could almost see the lightbulb come on. A big grin spread across his face. “Punkins?” Sure, why not?

On any given weekend, you can go to a pumpkin patch and pick your own. But, yesterday wasn’t a weekend. So…there’s only one thing to do. A roadside stand. There are random houses and farms with produce, eggs, firewood, and lately…pumpkins displayed outside their homes. These people are really trusting. They just plop it all out there with a little bucket that says “Pay here”. They just trust you to pay the right amount and be honest. I wonder how well that would go over in the USA? We chose the nearest one I knew of and examined their wares. Wes was particularly attracted to the gourds. They’re so colorful…heck! I was attracted to the gourds. But, gourds don’t taste good in pies (which is what I was really after…one track mind over here).

While choosing pumpkins (or in weslee’s case, something that looked like a summer squash…which he insisted was a punkin), the cute little old couple came driving up on their tractor. They waved and smiled at us (and me…with my alarmingly big camera) and kept on going. Weslee yelled after them…”Heh-whoa…Heh WHOA!!!” Such a friendly kid. Too friendly sometimes. A few kids showed up with their parents to pick out pumpkins and Wes immediately dropped what he was doing and got right in their face to shout about all the cool pumpkins. You could see the kids backing away slowly. No matter how many times I pulled Wes back…he trotted right on over again to be “friends”. I’ve got a social butterfly on my hands. No inhibitions. ( Oh Please keep that attribute…well, maybe not the “no personal space” attribute…but please, never be afraid of people. It’s such a great trait to have).